Trolley contact



an opening when t Patented Oct. 4, 1927.

UNITEDY PATENT op F11@ CHARLES 's'. Tiifiijisfr, or ron-ir, PENNSYLVANIA, AssrGNon To SELF-ACTING SWI'TCB oo., or YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, A oon'ronATIoN 'or DELAWARE.'

TROLLEY CONTACT.

This'i-nvention relates to 4-means for automatically closing the circuits of sw-itch mechanism :of railways, particularly street railways, whereby t-hfefswitches vmaybe automatically operated by electrically actuated upon 'the 'trolley `vire and adapted 'to be operated by ithe 'trolley wheel'for completing a circuit to "actuate t-he mechanism for operating the switch mechanism or other part to be moved.v i 1 A While the drawings illustratefa preferred embodimentof the invention, it is to be understood `that in adapting themeans to meet specific needs and requirements, the design in the minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the invention as claimed,Y without departing from the spirit thereof.

' For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof reference is to be had to the following description and the drawings hereto attached, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a trolley contact embodying the invention, the guide at one end being in section.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the parts 'illustrated in Figure 1. y

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a similar sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows. l

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and designated in the several views of the drawings by like reference characters.

The numeral 1 designates the trolley wire of an electrically operated railway system. The circuit Yclosing means embodying the invention are mounted upon the trolley wire 1, and include'a body of insulating material and, as shown, this body comprises similar members 2 in the form of strips disposed upon opposite sides of the trolley wire and clamped thereto by means of bolts 3, eachV p of the strips being partly grooved to form he strips are assembled for the .reception of the trolley wire;

the y "circuit closing means which is mounted may be varied and such other changesl btittomand opposite lsides of aannam@ 'inea october 11,:12926. seriai'No. 14.05881.

'opposing faces of ,the strips .2. are c'ut away below the opening formed Vby the matching grooves to provide a ispace Ligior `the viculation of air and the escape of any moisture that may iind its way .into the trolley wire.

receiving opening of the body. fllhewlower end Iportions of the strips 2 are beveled upon their outer sides kto" conform lsomewhat y to the lgroove of the trolley wheel( A l plied to the outer sides of .thebody stef s l2 and are retained in place by means ofzte bolts 3 and other `fastenin'gs 6, the ylatter partaki-'ng of the nature .ofv rivets. The

f lower edge portions 'of the contact strips 5*' 'are deflected inwardly to conform. to; the beveled sides ofthe body strips 2. `'The lead wire from theelectrically .openated switch mechanism is designated by thegnumeral .7 and may be connected to a contact'strip in any determinate way.

A contact plate 8 is disposed at one side of the body. and is normally spaced from the adjacent contact strip 5 and is attached at it upper end to a strip 9 of insulating material which is'supported above the body by means of uprights 10 which, as shown, consist of Ymetal strips soldered :or otherwise attached to thel contact strip 5 adjacent the contact plate 8. The strip 9 of insulating material, being disposed against the outer side of the supporting strips 10, serves to space Vthe contact plate 8 from the vcontact strip 5. The lower end of the contact plate V8 isy deflected inwardly to conform to the A guide is located at each end of the body tol insure the trolley wheel passing smoothly from the trolley wire onto the body and from the latter back upon the trolley wire. This guide consists of a block 12 of insulatingV material having a groove or channel in its top side for the reception ot the trolley wire, a top plate 13 being secured to the top of the block and having a tongue to enter the groove or channel of the block 12 and clamp the trolley Wire so as to hold` the guide in lace. tapered extension 15 projects outwardly from the block 12 and is groovedui asie-p siasi@- i-eceive the tro-11e was, The

Similar metallic contact strips 15 taper outwardly toward the sides of the trolley wire to present a practically un-y obstructed passage between the guide and trolley wire to admit ot' the trolley wheel passing upon and leaving the guide without any appreciable jar.

It is observed that while one contact element 8 only is illustrated, any desired nurnber may be provided, depending upon the mechanisms included in circuits to be closed in the `automatic operation of theswitch mechanism or the like.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

l. Circuit closing means for electrically operated switchmechanism for railways, the same comprising an elongated body of insulating material comprising longitudinal sections adapted to receive the trolley wire therebetween, means for securing the sections and'clainping them upon the trolley wire, contactfstrips along the outer sides of the body, a strip of insulatingmaterial supported above and at `one side ot' the body, and a contact element attached at its upper end to the said insulating strip and extending yalong the side of the said body and spaced from the adjacent contact strip.

2. Circuit closing means for electrically operated switch mechanism for railways, the same comprising an elongated body ot' insu,- lating material adapted to be mounted upon a. trolley wire, metallic contact strips at the sides of the said body', supporting elements extending upwardly from one of the metal contact strips, an insulating strip connected to the upper ends of the supporting strips, and a contact plate attached at its upper end to the insulating strip and extending along the outer side of the metal contact strip and spaced therefrom. A

3, A trolley contact comprising companion strips of insulating material having matching grooves `in adjacent sides to receive the trolley wire, means for connecting the said strips and clamping` the trolley wire therebetween, metal contact strips placed against the outer sides ot the body strips, spaced supports projecting upwardly from one of the contact strips, an insulating strip connecting the upper ends of said spaced supports, and a Contact plate attached at its upper end tothe said insulating strip and extending along the outer side of the body and spaced vfrom the In testimony whereof I afiX my signature.

cHARL-nss. EPPLEY. [1.. Si

adj acont contactstrip. 

